A co-managed Orthogeriatric programme for hip fracture patients

What is it about?

Hip fracture in the elderly are an increasing healthcare problem because of the progressive aging of the world population. Italy is a country with one of the highest life expectancy in the world, and hip fracture is a frequent occurrence, especially at advanced age (85,000-90,000 hip fractures per year). Based on this growing demand, in 2007 we established the Orthogeriatric Unit at San Gerardo Hospital, University of Milano-Bicocca (Monza, Italy). This paper describes characteristics and outcomes of the co-managed Orthogeriatric programme, which enrolled 261 subjects between 2007 and 2009, and compares two groups of patients: those who were admitted in the Orthogeriatric Unit from the Emergency Room, and those who were transferred to the Orthogeriatric Unit after admission and surgery in the Orthopedic Ward.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

This is one of the first articles describing a co-managed geriatric-orthopedic unit in Italy. A peculiarity of the model is the central role of the geriatrician, acting as the primary attendant in the management of patients with hip fracture. Indeed, hip fracture occuring in the elderly is often accompanied by multiple comorbid conditions (especially chronic comorbidity), different degrees of functional impairment, and in many cases cognitive disorders. The competences of geriatricians are crucial in assessing and controlling for this complex situation, as described in the paper.